Bittersweet Victory
by Peach Wookiee
Summary: An alternate ending to Episode 95. Sy beats Zane... For WhiteAsukaLover. Chapter 8: Epilogue. COMPLETE!
1. Bittersweet Victory

Bittersweet Victory

_Greetings again, Yu-__Gi__-Oh GX fans! It's been a while, but I think I came up with something! This is partly thanks to __WhiteAsukaLover__, who wanted a "__Sy__ gets revenge on Zane" fiction similar to my other story, "Political Revenge." Somehow, that idea took an interesting turn in my head. __Syrus__, like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker, wants to save his brother from the dark side of the Force. He's too gentle, I think, to do what __Chazz__ did to his brothers in my aforementioned story, so I came up with an alternate ending to __Episode 95, "Tough Love" in the dub, where __Sy__ and Zane duel. __Sy__ wins this time, but the name of this story should be a clue as to what happens…_

_Disclaimer: Peach doesn't own the __Yugi__-verse. She just has fun playing in it!__ She also doesn't own Sailor Moon, for which the inspiration for __Sy's__ winning cards come! She just wants the Guardian of Love and Justice to help our cute little guy win!_

Zane Truesdale smiled wickedly in triumph. He knew for certain that he was about to grind his only brother, Syrus, into the dust. He'd seen it in his other opponents, all stronger than this little maggot that stood before him. A year ago, he wouldn't have even thought that of his brother, that he was completely worthless. But the Zane that was here didn't care and regarded his gray-eyed, blue-haired, spectacle-wearing little brother as little better than a bug to be stepped on. Syrus was proving he was as weak as those others Zane had faced. Those others couldn't stand up to the power of the shock collars and Syrus, from the looks of him, wouldn't be able to stand up much longer.

"Go ahead, Syrus. Make your move. You know that I'll be able to take down whatever monster you throw at me," he said with the wicked tone that had become Hell Kaiser's trademark.

Syrus was indeed feeling the strain of his brother's attacks. _It won't be long and I won't be able to stand, _he thought, _but I will save him. And the cards are in my hand! _Syrus placed the magic card and the monster onto his field.

"You won't be able to take this monster down, Zane. I play the Angelic Guardian of the Moon, Usagi! And I equip her with her special magic attack card, Silver Moon Extra Cleansing Kiss! To use this card, I have to give up all but one of my life points!" Sy screeched as the shock collar took its due from him, dropping his life points to 1. Panting now and with tears in his eyes, he continued, "Not even Dark Horn can stand up to this attack!"

The female fairy-type monster with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair pulled into very long pigtails with buns at the top of her head, dressed in what looked like a cross between an anime girl's sailor suit-style school uniform, a cheerleader's costume and an angel costume, held out and twirled a red and white scepter like a baton. When she was done twirling the scepter, she held it above her head in dramatic fashion and a bright pink light exploded from the scepter. Dark Horn was eliminated from the field along with Zane's remaining life points. Zane cried out as the shock collar took its due from him and he fell on his butt.

For a moment, Zane lost complete awareness of his surroundings. _What's going on? Where am I?_ He was in a dark place and felt himself rising upward into a warm sweet light. The duel monster who'd just taken his top monster down was waiting for him, and smiling.

"Hello, Zane," she said in a sweet voice, "my name is Usagi. Your brother played me to save you. He loves you and wanted you to get better."

"What did I just do?" Zane asked, horrified.

"You dueled him and previously dueled your best friend. You haven't been yourself, Zane. But your little brother, even though he thinks you hate him, risked everything to save you."

Zane thought for a minute. "I was horrible to him. I called him a little maggot," he said in horror, "and yet… I just hope he can forgive me."

Usagi smiled knowingly. "I fight with my sister monsters sometimes, particularly Rei, the Guardian of Mars, but no matter what, we're still sisters and can forgive. Tell your brother you're sorry." Zane nodded and the scene faded. He became aware of himself again, first realizing he didn't feel angry anymore. The Hell Kaiser that had been was now contained in the recesses of Zane's now-much-lighter soul. And then he felt uncomfortably warm.

_I think I need to get out of all this black,_ he realized. He looked across from himself to where his brother should be standing… "Syrus?" And then his heart was in his throat.

Jaden Yuki was holding Syrus in his red-clad arms. "Somebody get a doctor! Alexis, get Ms. Fontaine!" Jaden was practically sobbing that plea. Alexis Rhodes raced through the crowd to the head of the Obelisk girls' dorms and the school nurse while Chazz Princeton and a Ra Yellow with dreadlocks and a bandanna that made him look like he had a dinosaur's head for a hat on moved the crowd back. Zane moved forward.

"Syrus? What happened?" Zane asked as he got close enough to Jaden to ask the question. But it was obvious that something was very, very wrong. Jaden was laying his best friend gently on the ground.

"Sy, you've got to hang on! Alexis is getting Ms. Fontaine!" He hadn't really heard Zane's query, but if he had, it's doubtful he would've answered at that moment, for little Syrus Aidan Truesdale suddenly breathed deep and exhaled, a horrible rattling sound coming from his chest…

_Cliffhanger…__ Will __Sy__ survive or will he die? Stay tuned! Read and review, everybody!_


	2. What Have I Done?

Chapter II: What Have I Done?

_Greetings, GX fans and readers of "Bittersweet Victory!" Wow. I am very impressed at the response to the first chapter of this new tale. Yes, Zane is back to himself and perhaps a bit better. But Syrus has paid a heavy price for his brother's turning to the Dark Side. Thanks to my reviewers, as always! You all make my day, especially when I hear that wonderful ding that says I have email! __And so, thanks to syrusfanatic12, Sho-Syrus chan, Saundersfamily007 and lunarlight20 for their reviews!__ A note for all you YGO and Sailor Moon fans… __Usagi's__ attack is known as Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss in the subtitled "Sailor Moon Stars," which never aired dubbed in the US… you can see the attack on YouTube…_

_Recap: __Syrus beat Zane with the Angelic Guardian of the Moon, Usagi and her Silver Moon Extra Cleansing Kiss magic attack. However, though Syrus won and saved his brother, he paid a very heavy price. Zane, now back to himself, has just watched as his brother's breath rattles ominously in his chest as Jaden Yuki cries for help…_

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-__Gi__-Oh GX… It's not going to happen…_

_Oh, God, what did I do to him? Please let him be all right,_ Zane pleaded silently. The black-haired, gray-eyed young man had come out of the darkness that he had willingly entered a couple of months before in the name of gaining victory and power because his blue-haired, gray-eyed little brother had dragged him back to the warm sweet light. To Zane's horror when he'd become aware of himself in the real world, Syrus was unconscious in the arms of Jaden Yuki. But it got much worse. Jaden had sobbed for Alexis Rhodes to get Vonda Fontaine, the school nurse and then Syrus had taken a deep breath. As the smaller Truesdale exhaled, a horrible rattling sound came from his chest.

"Sy? SYRUS!" Jaden cried out. Sy had stopped breathing and it was as if Jaden's own heart stopped beating for a moment. Then Jaden quickly remembered how his mother had taught him CPR and he thanked God that he actually remembered the lesson. Forcing himself to be calm, Jaden quickly pulled Sy's yellow jacket open, removed the specs and tilted Sy's head back, opening his airway. _Compression and breath__s… _"C'mon, Sy, don't give up!" Jaden kept pumping, knowing that the compressions he was doing were keeping Sy's blood pumping to his brain. An eternity later, it seemed, Miss Fontaine arrived and took over. She quickly ripped the small boy's shirt off and pulled out a defibrillator. She strapped the pads to his chest and turned on the electricity. Syrus started breathing again, thankfully.

"What happened?" the mahogany-haired gray-eyed nurse asked, worried. "What kind of duel was this?! Jaden?" She had another nurse with a gurney and they lifted the blue-haired boy onto it.

Zane was sitting on his knees, still in shock, so he couldn't answer. Jaden, very shaken, couldn't get the words out. "All right, then, let's get him to the infirmary. We'll worry about what happened as soon as we've got him stable." Miss Fontaine and the other nurse quickly moved the gurney into the academy and raced down the hall to the infirmary. They moved Sy into a cubicle and got him hooked to an IV, an EKG reader and other medical monitoring devices. The group of kids following Miss Fontaine and the other nurse were held in a waiting room.

The room was filled with concerned kids. Alexis Rhodes sat next to her brother, Atticus, her light brown eyes brimming with tears. Chazz Princeton looked sad, too, his gray eyes stormy and he was running his fingers through his black hair. The Ra Yellow, unknown to Zane, paced the room like a caged cat and Jaden Yuki was sitting in his chair, seemingly locked in his own mind. Zane looked at them, still in shock at what he had just done.

_No one's said anything, _he realized. _They should, though._ _I… What have I done? I__ almost killed my brother… What if he..?_ Zane didn't want to complete the thought, and didn't because a white-haired young man burst through the door looking extremely panicked. At first, Zane didn't recognize who he was because of the hair and white uniform, but then when the boy spoke, the young man realized who it was…

"Everyone, what the deuce happened? Did I see what I think I saw?!" Bastian Misawa asked in a rush.

"Are you back with us and the Sarge then, Private Misawa?" asked the still-unknown Ra Yellow in a Texas accent.

"Yes, I am, Hasselberry. I came to my senses when I saw Syrus… how is he?"

"We… we don't know…" Atticus Rhodes said softly. "He stopped breathing and Jaden had to do CPR. They brought him back, but they haven't let us see him yet."

"Oh, my… Zane, were you actually dueling him with shock collars?" Bastian asked, horrified.

"I was, and…"

"You were trying to kill him…" Jaden Yuki spoke for the first time in 20 minutes, and yet if Zane and the others hadn't been looking directly at him, they would have assumed that some dark creature had spoken. Though Jaden spoke, it didn't completely sound like him. In fact, everyone in the room feared this voice. And there was something in Jaden's eyes that no one had ever seen… unbridled fury. "I told him you had to be playing around and that this was just you acting… But no…I was wrong… you didn't care… and I guess he was right all this time… you hated him… and you hated him enough to kill him…" And then, the usually so calm and happy Jaden Kiyo Yuki snapped. With a guttural snarl, he launched himself at Zane.

"Sarge!" the unknown Ra Yellow yelped, grabbing hold.

"Jaden! Slacker, what are you doing?! He's not worth it!" Chazz yelled, also holding the Slifer Red back. Jaden struggled, still snarling, for a couple of minutes.

"Jaden, come on…" Alexis Rhodes said finally. He was still struggling to get at Zane, but when the blonde-haired, light-brown eyed Queen of Obelisk Blue laid her hand on Jaden's shoulder, he slumped against the Ra Yellow's and Chazz's grips. "I think Zane's sorry and he's back. Besides, that won't help Syrus now." Chazz and the Ra Yellow finally released their grip and Jaden sank into a chair.

Zane took a deep breath. "I have no defense for what I did out there. Heaven knows I have no defense for what I just did to Syrus. I wish I could blame somebody for how I've been dueling, but the truth is…I chose to do what I did. Jaden…I think if you'd beaten me at the Graduation Duel last spring, I would've started to turn then."

"Why did you do it, Zane?" Alexis asked. Zane made himself meet her eyes. When Atticus had gone missing, Zane had made a promise to protect her like the older brother that was missing, and Zane had felt she became the sibling that in some ways he'd wanted. They were good friends and understood each other, and their relationship was that of brother and sister, despite the beliefs of many around Duel Academy that the relationship was otherwise. And now, Zane looked into the eyes of one who had trusted him as her brother and saw horrible pain and something else he couldn't be sure of. "I can't believe you'd actually hate your brother…"

"Alexis…" Zane drew a shaky breath. "Part of me did," he said, just barely above a whisper, "ever since Camula. I…hated having to make the trade. I wanted to save my brother, but part of me hated him because he got caught and I had to save him. That part of me that hated losing… I let it get stronger. And after Aster and I dueled and then things went wrong, I let the dark part of me consume me. Atticus… you saw how it was when we dueled." Atticus nodded.

"You were different. Everything we'd learned as duelists… you gave it up. When I was Nightshroud… I almost gave it all up. But there is one thing I don't think, even as Nightshroud, I could've done. I could never have knowingly hurt my sister. I wouldn't even entertain the possibility. Lexi is my world, and I could never knowingly hurt her. I just can't understand you, Zane. How could you even think of hurting Sy?" Atticus's eyes were almost more hurt than Alexis's, speaking strongly of betrayal.

"I honestly don't know, Atticus. Like I said, I wish I had someone to blame, but I don't. I gave into anger and fear and… I don't know what else. Jaden…"

The brown-eyed boy looked up. He'd had his head in his hands after he'd slumped into the chair and as he now looked up at the other boy, everyone could see the Slifer Red had been crying. "What?"

"You're a better brother than I ever was. You tried to understand and you even fought for and with him. When he was in third grade, there was a kid who'd been bullying him. He'd started really learning about how to duel and this kid knew how to duel. I'd been sitting at the playground and Sy had challenged the guy to a duel. He was going to use Power Bond to win, but I had a feeling he'd lose and the guy would pound him. So I stepped in, stopped the duel and told Sy I would never have given him that card if I thought he was going to use it wrong…"

"So, why," Jaden asked, no real emotion in his voice at this moment, "didn't you show him how to use it?"

Zane sighed. "I just didn't think about it. The truth is, Jaden, I'm not like you. I don't think about how to teach people the right way. I certainly didn't think about how to help my brother. You've been a better brother to him in a year and a half than I've been our whole lives. I didn't deserve him as a brother."

"You don't know, Zane," Jaden said, emotion coming back into his voice, "you don't know what it was like last year. After that little incident where he tried to raft away, he cried himself to sleep that night. He said he knew for sure you hated him. He said when you were little kids, after you came back from training in the Himalayas, that you were cold and you acted as if he didn't exist sometimes. He cried himself to sleep so much and then we had to duel the Paradox brothers. Where were you when he needed you, hmm? Oh, yeah… you were too busy being a snobby Obelisk." Zane started at this, and even Alexis and Atticus raised eyebrows, but Jaden continued, "For a while during the stuff with the Shadow Riders, I thought maybe you'd changed and had decided to not be so cold. But what you've been doing… you called him a little maggot! If something happens…" Jaden was still angry, but more of this was from his own pain.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen, Jaden, if my brother dies. Even if I'm not charged with murder, I'll know what I did the rest of my life. I'll have to face my parents and I'm already facing you guys. And then… I'll have to face him…" The image of Syrus lying in a casket, possibly with his treasured Mr. Fuzzy Bear lying next to him was too much for Zane. He barely made it to a chair before he started crying. "I'll never get to tell him… I'm proud of him…"

Meanwhile, back in Syrus's infirmary cubicle, Vonda Fontaine looked at her patient's vital signs. _I can't do this alone, _she realized. _I need help, and Syrus's parents need to come…_ She picked up her PDA communicator and called Chancellor Shepherd. And then she walked out to the waiting group. Zane stood up.

Vonda Fontaine took a deep breath. "Zane, Chancellor Shepherd is going to get your parents here. And we're calling to Kaiba Corp for them to send a doctor immediately. Your brother is breathing on his own, but his vital signs are pretty weak. I honestly don't know what's going to happen at this point…"

And in the infirmary cubicle, Syrus Aidan Truesdale fought for his life…

_Another cliffhanger…Well, we've got the old Zane back and he is__ emotionally tortured. Perhaps the best revenge is the revenge that the other person didn't intend.__ This took a little longer to write than I intended. Writing an angry and upset Jaden is rather difficult; however, I think the Jaden I've written is something that could definitely happen._

_Read and review, everyone!_


	3. Outside Involvement

Chapter III: Outside Involvement

_Hello, again, GX fans! Welcome back to "Bittersweet Victory." Again, thank you, faithful reviewers! Your support means a lot! Anyway, this story is growing! I'm not always sure how long a particular story will go and this one is definitely no exception. _

_This new chapter will __largely __take place back in Domino. __One of the scariest moments when you are a caregiver of children in whatever capacity and you love them is when they're hurt. Your heart is in your throat, if it doesn't feel ripped out of your very chest__How much worse would it be to know that your older child has inflicted the wounds on your youngest?__So, how will Sy and Zane's parents react? __I felt strongly that__ it was necessary to show adults beyond Chancellor Shepherd, Dr. Crowler, Miss Fontaine and even Professor Bonaparte..._

_Author's note: The Truesdale parents are Darla and Justin. Darla is an OB/GYN at Domino Children's Hospital, __while Justin Truesdale is an accountant. The Rhodes parents are Jean Louise "Scout" and John Patrick "Jack" Rhodes, a pediatric surgeon and stock broker, respectively. The __Misawa parents__ are Hiro (a celebrated eye surgeon) and Molly (a horticulturalist)__. Jaden's mother, Jayda, a pediatric oncologist, died when he was eight and his father, Hisoka, is currently in a mental hospital because he is battling a severe case of depression. This information is consistent with my version of the Yugi-verse that I've written in other stories._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. If I did, I wouldn't have my stories here… or would I?_

Chancellor Andrew Shepherd sat in his office, hovering between anger at himself and disbelief. _I should've known this tournament was a bad idea__, but how could this have happened? How could Zane have attacked his own brother? Why couldn't I see it__, that he was so damaged? Andrew, you idiot!_ Shepherd forced himself back together and quickly pulled up Syrus's emergency information so that he could call a mother and let her know that her younger son was near death at the hand of her older son. And then he would call Kaiba Corp and Industrial Illusions…

At Domino Children's Hospital, Darla Truesdale was sitting at her office desk, taking a well-deserved break. This morning, she had delivered the 1500th baby of her medical career, and it had been a very easy birth for the mother. So now, Darla was taking a little time to relax and recharge. Darla had aqua-blue hair which was pulled back into a bun and warm gray eyes which needed the aid of spectacles. Other than the white lab coat, pants suit and sneakers (as well as height and obvious feminine characteristics), she looked like her youngest child. She looked at the picture on her desk of her family and smiled. The picture was several years old, taken when her boys were both in grade school. Zane had returned from his trip to the Himalayas and looked so serious, while Syrus looked happy but a little nervous. Darla's husband, Justin, was standing behind the two boys with her. Justin looked like Zane, but with a bit more humor around the eyes and mouth. He too was dressed in a dark suit, but had a bright red tie on and was smiling, proud of his wife and boys.

Darla was remembering all those happy times and wishing she had her boys close to her again when the phone rang. She didn't pay attention to the caller ID and picked up. "Good afternoon, this is Darla Truesdale…Oh, Chancellor Shepherd! How are you..? Yes..? Yes..? What?! Oh, my goodness..! How did it happen..? Okay… Yes, I can be ready… I'll call my husband immediately… Thank you… Oh, Lord, why..?" she pleaded with the Almighty after she hung up the phone.

"Darla? Darla, what's wrong?" Jean Louise Rhodes, popularly known as Scout, stuck her head into Darla's office. She looked like a pleasingly plump version of her daughter. Scout had been a pediatric surgeon at Domino Children's for many years and had been Darla's friend for that long. "Darla…" Seeing her friend so upset was a shock.

"I just got a call from Chancellor Shepherd… Sy's hurt and Zane… Zane is the one who did it… Oh, God… Scout…" Scout pulled her arms around her best friend.

"How did it happen?" Scout asked in disbelief.

"You've seen how Zane's been lately. I thought it was just because he was trying to act tough after what happened with that Aster Phoenix, but now… Zane went to Duel Academy to participate in the GX tournament and he and Syrus dueled. Whatever happened, Syrus might…" Darla choked up and couldn't say any more. Scout, for her part, was in shock. Atticus had emailed her a few days ago, telling her that he'd dueled Zane and something seemed different about his best friend and it wasn't good.

_If Darla needs me, I'll go with her,_ Scout thought,_ and I have a feeling Atty and Alexis will need me too…_

"Scout… please come with me… Even with Justin, I can't do this… I can't…" Darla said finally, still nearly choked by her tears.

"All right. Fortunately, I don't have any surgeries scheduled and Dr. Tsunade can take over for me, all right?" Darla nodded, still having difficulty speaking. "It'll work out somehow, Darla."

"What will work out?" asked a man with a slightly muddled accent.

"Oh, Hiro! It's Syrus. He's been hurt," Scout explained to Hiro Misawa. Hiro was Bastian's father, and anyone could see where the Ra Yellow had gotten his hair and eyes, though Hiro Misawa was shorter than his strapping son, who'd inherited his height and physique from his mother Molly's side of the family. Scout quickly explained what had happened as Darla had told her, concluding, "I'm going with her and Justin. This is unbelievable… I wish Jayda were here…"

"We all do," Hiro said softly. "I can't leave with you, but you have my prayers…" he concluded, giving the two women hugs.

"Thanks, Hiro," Darla managed. "I just can't lose my baby like this…"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Meanwhile, the phone rang in another part of Domino…

"This is Seto Kaiba… Oh, good afternoon, Chancellor Shepherd. How's the tournament going and is Sartorius causing any trouble…? I see… You need a doctor out there..? What's the patient's status..? All right, then… I'll send you the person I trust most. She's an excellent doctor… Oh, she's my wife… Yes, Andrew… I'll be sending her out immediately… Good-bye."

Seto Kaiba got up from his desk. To the normal person, it might seem as if the news of a Duel Monsters-related injury didn't faze the now-thirty-year-old CEO. However, what Shepherd had just told him turned the young man's stomach. _Even when I was at my darkest, I couldn't have consciously tried to kill my little brother! How could Zane even think of it?!_ He walked out of his office and headed down to the elevator. His wife should be at the Kaiba Corp gym with her friends, doing some aerobic dance. _Unless they talked Kisara into having smoothies today instead…_ he thought, thinking that Teá, Mai, Ishizu and Serenity might be able to talk his wife into taking a breather.

However, when Seto arrived at the gym, he saw his wife with the amazingly beautiful white-blonde (yet occasionally bluish) hair doing a dance routine with her friends Teá Muto, Mai Wheeler, Ishizu Devlin and Serenity Taylor to "Makenai," the opening song to "Sailor Moon Stars." They were all dressed in leotards, dancer's tights, leather-bottomed dance slippers and skirts and each moved well and looked pretty good. However, he only had eyes for his wife of eight years. They did their finishing pose, and he clapped politely.

"Hi, honey! What brings you down here? I thought you were working…" Kisara said and trailed off, her blue eyes trying to determine what was wrong. "It's all right, guys; I needed a break, anyway," she said to her friends. They looked at her, nodded and headed to the locker room to change. "What's wrong?" He looked much as he had one day early on in their courtship when he had to go to Kaibaland to personally fix a mechanical problem and had to skip out on their date, but the young woman could tell something was far more wrong than simply missing a dinner date.

"Babe," he said, "there's been… an incident at Duel Academy. A student is in very bad shape and… Kisara, you're the only one I trust with this."

Kisara was a very good doctor and even if she hadn't been his wife, he would've sent her. He'd met her when they were eighteen and he'd returned from Egypt with who he'd once called "the dork patrol." Yugi had gone into a major depression after losing Atem (Seto sort of understood—he didn't have to imagine how it felt, losing a brother—Pegasus had given him a taste of that) and had ended up in Domino Children's after a suicide attempt. It was there that Seto had met Kisara Jenkins. What had obviously drawn him to her at first was the resemblance to the young woman who'd died in ancient Egypt. But then he'd found her to be sweet and kind as well as incredibly smart. Seto had asked her out, and by the time Yugi had been okay to leave the hospital, he and Kisara were dating seriously. They married two years later and had three children and were working on having a fourth.

"Honey, what happened?"

"Do you remember the duel at the Kaiba Dome a few weeks ago when Zane Truesdale dueled Sam Robins?" He was referring to a duel where the opponent had been down and out cold for a few minutes after the duel. He had needed a night in the hospital due to his injuries.

"Yeah, I do. Why?"

"This time… he hurt his little brother. Chancellor Shepherd called me and he says Miss Fontaine is doing everything she can, but she feels it's beyond her skill. She wants a full MD out there, and who better to send than my own personal doctor? Are you all right with that?"

"Of course," she answered. "Give me a few minutes to freshen up and call over to our medical center. I'll need medical supplies…" Seto ran and made the calls while Kisara headed to the locker room. The other women were waiting for her.

"Kisara, what's going on?" Teá asked.

"Yeah, hon, what's up? Seto seemed serious," Mai added.

"Something really bad happened at Duel Academy. They need a doctor," Kisara answered as she pulled off her now-sweaty dance outfit. The other women were in various states of undress, having gotten out of the showers. "They need me immediately."

Serenity looked horrified. "That sounds like Battle City…" She had never fully shaken the images of her brother and now sister-in-law unconscious and near death nearly eleven years previously. "How did this happen?"

"You guys all know who Zane Truesdale is," Kisara inquired as she hopped into the shower. The other women all answered affirmatively. "Well, he went after his brother in a duel, and the younger boy is in trouble." She quickly scrubbed herself all over and washed her long, white-blonde hair. She got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and dried herself off, then pulled on a clean pale pink bra and pink panties. "Chancellor Shepherd is suspending the GX tournament indefinitely…"

"It does sound like Battle City," Ishizu said softly. "There are times I wish I had the Millennium Necklace again. It's strange… I thought after Zorc was brought down…"

"You can only hold evil at bay, Ishizu; you can't stop it indefinitely… Not yet, anyway," Kisara said, as she pulled on her mid-rise blue jeans, white athletic socks, sneakers and a blue V-neck T-shirt. "From what you've all told me and Seto and Mokuba have told me, it got pretty crazy for four years."

"Yeah… We all miss the Pharaoh, but none of us more than Yugi," Teá said. "That's why one of the twins is named Atem." Teá and Yugi had gotten married a year after Egypt and now had four kids; two girls and twin boys, Yugi, Junior and Atem. Kisara pulled her long hair into a French twist and pinned it quickly into place.

"Yeah… I guess we'll have to suspend full practice for a little bit, gang. I don't know how long I'm going to be there. Pray I make it through this and pray for those kids…" The group all hugged, and Kisara Kaiba left the room. Her husband met her, following her to the waiting limo that would take her to Domino Airfield.

"Are you sure you're okay with the kids for a few days, honey?"

Seto gave her his rarely-seen genuine smile. "Babe, I'll be fine, and I can call the gang if I need reinforcements. Don't forget your…"

"Tricorder?" she asked with a smile, holding up Kaiba Corp Medical Division's pride and joy, a device that held all medical data, could read a patient's vitals and record information. "I wouldn't forget this… Tell the kids I'll be home as soon as I can. I love you," she said, giving him a goodbye kiss.

"Love you too, babe," he said, releasing her. She climbed into the limo and rode to the airfield, where she met the Truesdales and the Rhodes family.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Maximilian Pegasus was sitting at his desk at Industrial Illusions Headquarters when his phone rang in the middle of the afternoon. "Hello, this is Maximilian Pegasus…"

"Hello, Mr. Pegasus. This is Chancellor Shepherd. We have an emergency…"

Max's good eye widened. "What's going on? Is there a problem with the tournament?"

"You could say that… You need to send Chumley Huffington here immediately. One of his friends is lying near death…"

"What?! Are you serious? Chancellor, what in the name of Funny Bunny is going on?"

"Zane Truesdale was participating in the tournament and he and his brother dueled using those horrible shock collars that the underground duelists use sometimes. Syrus won the duel, but his little body couldn't take any more. He collapsed and stopped breathing, but Miss Fontaine and Jaden brought him back. We're calling a Kaiba Corp doctor to the island and the boys' parents. It doesn't look good. Could you bring Chumley quickly? I think Jaden needs him."

Max Pegasus nodded, and answered, "We'll be right out. I'm praying for the boys. See you shortly."

"Goodbye, Mr. Pegasus."

The Industrial Illusions CEO hung up the phone, then instructed his secretary to call ahead to get his helicopter ready for immediate take-off. And then he got up from his desk, headed down the hall to his elevator, and then walked to Chumley Huffington's office/art studio. _Help me, Cecelia,_ he thought, calling on the image of his dead wife. _Help me comfort this boy._

"Mr. Pegasus! Good afternoon!" Chumley said, looking up from his canvas. He was working on a new magic card design, "Dueling Brotherhood." The artwork was beautiful and at any other time, Max would've really oohed and aahed over it. Chumley knew that and saw the grave expression on his employer's face. "Sir, what's wrong?"

"Chumley-boy, we need to fly out to Duel Academy immediately. Your friend, Syrus, is in trouble… He is near death in fact…" Max quickly explained and Chumley moved quickly as soon as the boss finished. They raced to the young man's small apartment and got him a few changes of clothes, then went quickly to the airfield and flew toward Academy Island.

Meanwhile, back at the Duel Academy infirmary… "CODE BLUE! WE HAVE A CODE BLUE!"

_Poor Sy… he just isn't doing well… Will his parents get there to see their son live or will they have to deal with their other son being a murderer? How are Sy's friends going to cope with this? And will Kisara Kaiba be able to do anything? Stay tuned and read and review!_


	4. Confrontation

Chapter IV: Confrontation

_Hello, again, fans of Yu-Gi-Oh GX! I feel a lot of love in this room right now… I also feel a lot of fear, sadness and potential rage if I kill Syrus off. Anyway, the responses to this story have been amazing. Thank you, all of you, who have reviewed and/or put this story in your favorites or on alert! While I write for fun, it's nice to know you all are having fun reading it. To those of you who are following my other fic, "The Jedi League of Duelists," don't worry. Chapter 26 will come; I have a lot of stuff written out and it's tough to remold it.__ This story will help me work through some of it._

_A big thanks to Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna, who wanted to see Sartorius try to make a bargain to save Sy's life. It might not turn out the way you thought, my friend, but I hope you enjoy it…__ Also, thanks to the good people at Web MD for providing the information on what electric shocks can do to the heart._

_Recap: Chancellor Shepherd has had to make some of the most__ difficult phone calls of his career. Sy and Zane's mom and dad and Atticus and Alexis's mom and dad are coming, as are Pegasus and Chumley and Kisara Kaiba. And then, there is a Code Blue at the Academy… Will Sy live to see another chapter? Just stick around, and I'll show you!_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX!**_

_**WARNING: **__This chapter contains__ bleeped lang__uage, as indicated by Xs. Furthermore, I don't think I could write a complete duel, so you'll just have to imagine what happens. I mostly see Jaden just raging..._

"CODE BLUE! WE HAVE A CODE BLUE!" Miss Fontaine shouted. The other nurse, named Meredith, raced in with the defibrillator. Syrus Aidan Truesdale had gone into cardiac arrest, mainly because the initial electric shocks from the duel with his brother had destabilized his heart beat. Sy's only chance of survival was the defibrillator. Miss Fontaine readied the paddles and gave the order. Several volts of electricity went through the paddles and into the heart of the blue-haired boy. His little body jumped, but the EKG monitor still flat-lined.

"C'mon, Syrus, don't give up on us now! Again!" the nurse said to her counterpart. Meredith activated the defibrillator again and this time, Syrus's heart started up again and he breathed. "Oh, thank God… I thought for a minute that was it," Miss Fontaine said softly. She knew the kids had probably heard the commotion, and headed to where they were waiting. "We had a close call, but we got him breathing on his own again. I can't guarantee it won't happen again. That shock collar system may have disrupted his heart rhythms and we can't keep shocking him indefinitely. I may not be able to bring him back next time," she explained.

"Miss Fontaine, can't you..?" Jaden asked, looking desperate. Zane, too, had that look in his eyes.

"There may be nothing I can do," she said softly.

"Perhaps I may be of some assistance," said a silky, yet almost snakelike voice. Everyone turned and saw the leader of the Society of Light. Sartorius looked for all the world like a demon, though he was dressed from head to foot in white. "I might be able to save your little friend, Jaden, and return your brother to you, Zane… All you have to do, Jaden, is join the Light…" He smiled wickedly, certain he'd won.

Jaden, however, had another idea… "How about you go XXXX yourself?" His eyes were blazing like they never had and everyone gasped in shock that Jaden Kiyo Yuki had just told Sartorius what to go do with himself. "Taking my other friends away from me wasn't enough? Why should I trust you can somehow heal him? Is it my destiny to lose to you?! No way, Sartorius! You'll get me to duel you, and then you'll tell me that it's Sy's destiny to die… I'll duel you, if only to kick your sorry butt to the curb and get the Society of Light out of here! You want to get your game on, Sartorius?! Well, let's go out and throw down!"

"Um, Sarge? I thought you were an officer and a gentleman…" Tyranno Hasselberry said, in absolute shock.

"I might be an officer to you, Hasselberry, but right now, I am no gentleman," Jaden said, his voice fairly cold. "Let's go, Sartorius."

_Musical choice for this section: Battle of the Heroes__ by John Williams as featured in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

The violet-eyed, striped-haired leader of the Society of Light walked out of the infirmary, confident that his victory was assured. However, had he bothered to really check his Tarot cards that day, he might've seen his own loss. Of course, Sartorius might have seen his victory and then been shocked by what was to come. For this duel, destiny was on the side of the boy who had been chosen by the Neo-Spacians to fight.

Sartorius drew first, assured that his Tarot-based monster would defeat whatever it was that Jaden would bring to the field. However, the monster that Sartorius was sure would land in the proper position did not land the way he thought, and Jaden was able to attack with Elemental Hero Avian, dropping Sartorius's life points. It happened again. Sartorius sacrificed one monster for another, and then Jaden attacked again, the rage growing in his eyes. For this moment, if the truth be told, Jaden wasn't so much fighting Sartorius as he was fighting the force that was attempting to take his best friend from him. Again and again the combatants clashed. Unknown to the two, a crowd formed near the battle.

"What is going on here?" a young man with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes and wearing a white suit with a gray business shirt and black tie asked.

"Aster, Zane hurt Private Truesdale and the Sarge is fightin' Sartorius," Hasselberry explained to Aster Phoenix in a rush. "Private Truesdale isn't doing so good…in fact, he could go up with all the great generals if something else goes wrong…What in Sam Hill?!" An explosive attack had been launched, and it had come from Sartorius's side of the field. The gathered students who belonged to the Society of Light cheered for Master Sartorius.

"Jaden!" shouted the students not in the Society. If he lost a duel again, what would the consequences be this time? However, he came up laughing. But this laugh was not the happy-go-lucky Jaden Yuki's laugh. In fact, that laugh was reminiscent of one Seto Kaiba when he felt he was in a position to take Yugi Muto down in battle. But unlike Seto Kaiba, Jaden would win.

"I wanted you to attack me, you sick jerk! You're going down!" He flipped over a trap card which took a major chunk out of his opponent's life points.

"Destiny is with me, young Jaden. You will join my Society and serve me. It is your destiny to do so."

"Destiny, my butt! And I'm about to kick yours! I summon Neo-Spacian Hero Neos and I merge him with Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin to form Neo-Spacian Aqua Neos! Take him down, Neos!"

Sartorius shouted in shock as Aqua Neos made his final attack and Sartorius's life points dropped to zero. And then Neos delivered the blow that knocked the light of destruction away from Sartorius. And it was thus that the Society of Light was no more.

"Hey," one former Society member asked another, "what just happened?"

"I think we're free!"

Jaden Yuki, at any other time, might have felt happy and triumphant at the fact all of the people who'd been trapped in the Society were now free. However, right now, he felt emotionally drained. Sartorius, for his part, blinked a few times.

"What in the world? Am I free? What has happened?" Sartorius felt, in some ways, that he'd only dreamed that he had been possessed by the Society of Light. Seeing the students dressed in white convinced him that it wasn't a dream. And so he walked over to his opponent, intending to offer his thanks and congratulations. "Jaden…"

But the brown-haired boy sank to his knees and two of his friends moved to his side. Both were former members of the Society and both had been reasons Sartorius thought that Jaden would eventually turn.

"Jaden, let's get you back to the infirmary," Alexis Rhodes said, getting one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Yeah, c'mon, Slacker. Man, I've never seen you duel like that," Chazz Princeton added, helping the boy stand and walk. Chazz actually looked a bit afraid of Jaden, because he, Chazz, had never seen the other boy duel with such anger. Even Sartorius admitted to himself that he was shaken.

_He was righteously angry, in some ways, and even with his anger, he would not turn.__ I underestimated him, or my dark side did,_ the tall man realized as he walked a short distance behind Jaden and his friends. Aster Phoenix, too, followed the group. They all entered the infirmary where Atticus was waiting and all sat down.

"Nothing's changed," Atticus informed them. "Miss Fontaine thinks that Sy is stable for now, but there aren't any guarantees. And she still won't let us see him. So, who won?" Chazz told him. "So the Society of Light is done?" Atticus asked Sartorius.

"Yes. It is fortunate Jaden stopped me when he did. That satellite would've enabled me to control every mind on Earth. I am sorry, all of you. Aster, I believe I know who… killed your father."

"Tell me later. I don't think I could handle it right now," Aster admitted. "Zane… did I cause you to..?"

"You didn't, Aster, though it would be easy to blame you," Zane answered softly. "I told Jaden it wasn't your fault and had he beaten me last year, I might've turned then. You just happened to be the guy that beat me and that set me off. So don't blame yourself for what I chose to do."

And then Bastian took a deep breath. "Sartorius… I want to… I need to know…why did you never allow me to duel for you? I know why I was pulled into the Society so easily… I felt alone, but I still felt that way afterward…part of it was because you seemed to think I was somehow unworthy…please answer me at least that." His gray eyes pleaded for that answer, and so did nearly everyone else's eyes.

"Bastian, think back to that duel. Why did you lose?" Sartorius asked.

"I lost because I chose to lose. I wanted to feel like I belonged. I felt like I had drifted away or you mates had drifted away from me," he answered, looking at his friends. "I thought it was logical."

"Bastian, you would have won. You are a strong duelist, but you have a definite weakness. It does not lie in the friends you have chosen. You wonder why Jaden was ultimately able to beat you…I saw this in you and in him. You both function with certain logic when you duel, but you function almost sheerly on logic, Bastian. You don't let your intuition guide you very often. I heard once that 'logic is the beginning of wisdom…'"

"'Not the end,'" Bastian quoted, awed. "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. You know the movie?"

"Yes…You must learn that logic and numbers are not everything, Bastian. You must leap beyond them."

Bastian wasn't sure what to say for the moment. "Thank you," he managed finally.

"So, why did you take most of my friends?" Jaden asked.

Sartorius sighed. "Jaden…I went after your friends because it was a way to get to you to perhaps join the Society if I demoralized you enough. They each had their gifts, but… they could not beat you and you would rather fight to get them out than give up. I was wrong and the future cannot be so easily predicted. My evil side was wrong to torture you like that. Even the side that had control of me did not have the power to bring healing."

"So there's nothing we can do, then…" Jaden said softly.

"No. May I ask why you wanted to duel me just a short time ago?"

For the first time in his life, Jaden hadn't dueled for fun. "I needed to…I needed to fight somebody or something…"

"That isn't like you, Jaden," Alexis said, sitting down and putting her arm around his shoulders. "You usually just duel for fun and end up saving the world in the process. Didn't you just save the universe?"

"Yeah, but Sy should be here talking with us, not…" Jaden choked. Alexis pulled him into a hug and just let him cry.

Meanwhile, two helicopters made their way to Duel Academy, and in one helicopter, a young man said a silent prayer, hoping he and his boss would make it to the academy in time. In another helicopter, a young woman with bluish-white blonde hair looked over at the two worried mothers and fathers and mentally prayed… _Please, Lord, guide my hands and help me to help this boy…__Amen._ She only hoped she would not be too late…

_No mean cliffhanger this time, folks… I think I can only give Sy a limited amount of near-death experiences. And before you say anything about Jaden, I know… he seems rather out of character. But he has nearly lost his best friend and after the year he's had, he probably has a lot of pent-up anger. Anyway, please read and review! I love to hear from you, and I'll be glad to answer any questions!_


	5. Why?

Chapter V: Why?

_Hello again, everybody, and welcome to another chapter of "Bittersweet Victory." Thanks again to my reviewers and my readers for your support! I'm very glad you like this story! __The last chapter was more Jaden-focused, I'll admit. As Syrus's surrogate brother, Jaden's scared and angry and needs something or someone to fight. At least the Society of Light is gone. For Zane, this doesn't matter because he's about to face his parents…_

_Recap: Last time on "Bittersweet Victory," Sartorius attempted to make a "devil's bargain" in order to save Sy's life, but Jaden wouldn't have it. The Society of Light came crashing down and the group discovered why Sartorius really targeted them. Jaden, for the first time, dueled to have something to fight while __the brother of his heart fought for his life.__ Meanwhile, two helicopters made their way to Duel Academy… So what will happen next?_

_Disclaimer: I'll say it again… I don't own, nor will I ever own, Yu-Gi-Oh GX. If I did, there might just be light sabers in the series…_

_Warning: This might be emotionally intense. You might need some tissues…_

Aster was the first to hear the whishing of rotor blades. "What the..?" He ran to the windows outside the infirmary where there was a view of the helipads at the lower part of the academy. "Guys, they're here!" Everyone else ran out of the infirmary to the windows… everyone, that is, except Zane. For his part, the young black-haired man sat terrified.

--Zane's POV—How do I face Mom and Dad? Sy's almost dead because of me! I can see the conversation now… "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad… Oh, I'm fine. I just nearly killed Syrus and he might not survive. How are you?" Yeah, this is going to be a great conversation… How could I have been so horrible? How many people did I hurt as Hell Kaiser? Atticus is right… I betrayed everything I ever believed in. Jaden should've fought me instead of Sartorius. Maybe if he was lucky, he might've killed me. If Sy dies… death is what I'll deserve…--End Zane's POV—

Zane placed his head in his hands, but he had no tears left to cry. The other kids came back in the room and sat down. Atticus sat down on the right side of his best friend, while his sister sat on Zane's left. "Zane…" Alexis began, and he looked up. "I did some bad things while I was under the Society of Light's influence. I don't remember everything yet, but among other things, I nearly endangered the whole universe."

"I did bad things as Nightshroud, Zane, and it's probably good I'll probably never remember," Atticus added. Noticing the look on Zane's face, he asked, "What is it?"

"You said it, though… Even then, you couldn't have hurt your sister," Zane said softly. "I knew full well that I was going to hurt Sy and I didn't care. Alexis, you weren't really aware of what you were doing for a few weeks, were you?" She shook her head. "You weren't conscious of what you did. I was! And do you two know what that makes me? If he dies, that makes me a murderer. And no one can say it wasn't premeditated. So you know what I deserve if he dies? Jaden, you wanted to kill me earlier? You can go ahead if Sy doesn't make it. Even if he does make it…I still…"

Zane broke down. It was probably the first time in his life he'd actually contemplated ending his life or telling someone that said someone could kill him. Zane, former Kaiser of Obelisk Blue and Duel Academy, Zane the seemingly undefeatable, the always strong and largely silent, was finally, truly defeated. And though his little brother had only beaten him, it was Zane himself that had brought him to defeat.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Meanwhile, the two helicopters landed at the Duel Academy helipads. Dr. Vellian Crowler, head of Obelisk Blue, Professor Jean-Louis Bonaparte, Professor Don Sartyr, the head of Ra Yellow and Professor Kayla Young, a dark-haired female Ra Yellow instructor were waiting for the passengers to disembark.

"I never thought we'd have a situation quite like this," Crowler said quietly to Bonaparte.

"_Oui_, Dr. Crowler, I never did, either. How do we deal with this? I know if this were my son, I'd be in pieces." It wasn't well known at Duel Academy that Bonaparte had a child, much less a son, but he was very sure of how he would feel if Marcel was suddenly near death. _I would be in such agony, I could barely breathe,_ he acknowledged to himself. _If he'd had a brother that had done such a thing to him, I don't know if I could stand it._

Dr. Crowler, for his part, was in a state of utter disbelief. _How could this have happened? Did I contribute to this by making the Obelisks think they were better than the Ras and Slifers? I couldn't have! But… no! Stop thinking that way, Vellian! Get hold of yourself!_ He shook his head for a moment, to somehow clear his mind. But the image of Syrus Truesdale, first dueling his brother and winning, then collapsing and having to be brought back, was burned in Crowler's mind.

The passengers of the smaller helicopter quickly disembarked. "Mr. Pegasus and Chumley! A pleasure to see you, but I wish the circumstances were different," Dr. Crowler said, shaking hands.

"How's Sy?" Chumley asked before his boss could say anything. "Is he still..?"

Dr. Crowler knelt to Chumley's level. "He's still alive, but he is in grave condition. Miss Fontaine isn't sure how this will go. The doctor from Kaiba Corp is in that other helicopter."

"How's Jaden boy holding up?" Pegasus asked. "I gathered that he and Syrus are pretty close."

"He just dueled Sartorius and won, but I have never seen him duel like that. Jaden was so angry, it was almost as if he were possessed. Mr. Pegasus, I also heard that Jaden said a rather vile swear word…"

"And… what exactly was it?" Pegasus asked. Crowler whispered it in his ear, and Max's good eye widened in horror. _Not even the other Yugi used such language! Yugi-boy doesn't have it in him!_ "He must be very upset. Please don't punish him," the Industrial Illusions CEO pleaded softly.

"Well," Crowler said, thoughtfully stroking his chin, "I thought about detention, but since I wasn't actually there and he just saved the universe, I'll let him off. Do you two need escorts up to the infirmary?"

"No, Dr. Crowler."

"Mr. Pegasus, we need to make a quick stop somewhere, if that's all right," Chumley said.

"All right, Chumley boy. Where are we going?"

"My old dorm. There's something I need to get…" And Chumley took off running. Normally, the large young man didn't like running, but right now, he knew time was extremely precious. What if he didn't do what he needed to do in time and something happened? Max Pegasus quickly followed, wondering what Chumley was getting. They made their way quickly to the Slifer dorms and up the stairs to the dorm Chumley had called home for three years. He opened the door and headed to the triple bunk bed. "Found it!" he said triumphantly as he pulled a beat-up old teddy bear from the center bunk.

"Found what, Chumley boy?" Pegasus asked curiously.

"Mr. Fuzzy Bear. Sy sleeps with it when he's really scared. He had it during the stuff with the Shadow Riders last year and Zane got stuck as a doll and Jay got hurt in a duel. He was really scared he'd lose them both forever, Mr. Pegasus."

"Then," Maximilian said, thinking of a certain portrait that he looked to when he was frightened, "it's a good thing that you'll bring it to him. Maybe he needs that bear to carry on…"

Chumley looked up at his boss, his dark eyes a little bit teary. "This is so not 'licious, sir. I…it's hard to think he might…" Pegasus gave the boy a quick hug, and together they walked out of the room and headed up to the infirmary…

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Shortly after Pegasus and Chumley headed for the Slifer dormitory, the two sets of parents and the young doctor left their helicopter. "Mrs. Kaiba, thank goodness!" Vellian Crowler said. "I wish you were here under better circumstances, but I'm glad if you'll be able to help. You know Professor Bonaparte, I presume?"

"Bienvenue, Madame," Bonaparte said, bowing slightly at the young woman.

"Merci, Professor Bonaparte," she answered. She said hello to the other teachers, and then asked, "What's my patient's condition?" By this time, the Truesdales and the Rhodes family had stepped out of the helicopter, and now listened fearfully.

Vellian ran his fingers through his bangs in a slightly nervous gesture. "He went into cardiac arrest a short time ago. Miss Fontaine was able to bring him back, but she is very afraid that the next time it happens, she won't be able to get his heart started again."

Darla Truesdale tightly squeezed her husband's hand. "Dr. Crowler, do you have any idea why Zane would've attacked his brother? Why would he do this?"

"Mrs. Truesdale…" Vellian said, "I wish I knew. The Zane I knew here wasn't capable of that…and he never would have dueled the way we've been seeing him duel."

"Darla, let's just get up there," Scout said. "Dr. Kaiba, do you think we'll have to take Syrus out of here on a helicopter? What if he needs surgery?"

Kisara thought quickly and answered, "I'll have to evaluate him first. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And if we have to, I can get a specialist out here fast." Together, the parents, teachers and doctor headed up to the infirmary, reaching the front doors at the same time Pegasus and Chumley did.

"MOM! DAD!" three voices shouted at once. Atticus and Alexis practically tackled their parents, while Zane was more hesitant. But Darla and Justin Truesdale, rather than immediately ask their elder son what possessed him to fight and nearly kill his brother, pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Um… Mrs. Kaiba?" Chumley asked as Kisara made her way toward Syrus's cubicle.

"Yes, Chumley?" she said, turning, her face rather serious.

"Take this to Sy, please? I think he needs it," he said softly, handing her the beat-up teddy bear he was holding. "His name's Mr. Fuzzy Bear."

Her face, holding a determined expression, softened. "Okay, I'll bring him Mr. Fuzzy Bear." Kisara held the teddy almost reverently and headed to the cubicle where Miss Fontaine was waiting.

"Hello, Dr. Kaiba. His condition hasn't really changed. He went into cardiac arrest about two hours ago. We brought him back but I don't know how much his body can take," the school nurse explained. "I've had to use the defibrillator on him twice. I'm worried that if there's a third time…" She choked and couldn't complete the thought. Kisara gave her a hug.

"You've grown to love each of these kids. I understand…"

Miss Fontaine smiled a little bit through her tears. "Syrus is one of the sweetest, most kind boys that have ever come through the academy doors. He tries to cheer other people up when they're down and he doesn't tend to say mean things of anyone. When he was brought in here… Help him, Doctor…" Her gray eyes pleaded with Kisara's blue ones.

"I'll do my very best," Kisara promised. She gently set Mr. Fuzzy Bear on the nightstand and pulled out her medical tricorder to scan the small boy lying in the hospital bed. _Heart rate…pulse…nervous system…_ The young woman read the information on her device and was really worried now. She saved the data and closed the tricorder.

"Doctor? How..?"

"We need to talk to all of them…I don't know what's going to happen now…" Dr. Kisara Kaiba gently picked up Mr. Fuzzy Bear and laid it in the crook of Sy's left arm, knowing he would need this bear…

_A cliffhanger, yet again… Kisara is very worried for Sy, but why? And how will everyone take what she has to tell them? Stay tuned, read and review!_


	6. There's Nothing I Can Do

Chapter VI: There's Nothing I Can Do…

_Hello again, GX fans! And welcome back to the rather sad-at-the-moment "Bittersweet Victory." I don't know what it is, but it seems my fics tend to make people cry. I hope this one will ultimately draw some smiles, but for now… it's not a happy fiction. Anyway, thanks for the reviews again, guys! I appreciate and love them! And to syrusfanatic12… hon, I think your private messaging feature has been disabled__. I can't PM you back__…_

_Okay, recap time!__ Dr. Kisara Kaiba, the Truesdales and the Rhodes family have arrived at Duel Academy, along with Max Pegasus and Chumley. Zane is contemplating suicide or suicide by Jaden, and the kids are glad to see their parents. Kisara does an examination of Sy with her tricorder (disclaimer: Star Trek owns it! I don't!) and is not happy with what she sees. Why? Read to find out…_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I obviously don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or anything having to do with Star Trek._

_**Warning: You'll probably need Kleenex again…**__**And there is mild language that didn't have to be bleeped this time…**__** This chapter is also a bit longer than the others…**_

Kisara left Syrus's cubicle and went to the waiting group. "Dr. Rhodes, I need to see you in here. I need a second opinion." Scout Rhodes nodded, with a concerned look at Darla Truesdale.

"Dr. Kaiba," she asked when she and Kisara were down in Syrus's cubicle, "why do you need me?"

"You have the reputation as being one of the best pediatric surgeons in the world. I wish I'd been able to study under you or work with you longer. Anyway, you'll be able to tell me if I'm reading this right…" She handed Scout the tricorder, calling up Sy's information. "It is my opinion that surgery isn't an option and taking him out on a medevac helicopter would likely be fatal. What is your assessment?"

Scout looked quickly at the readouts. "I agree with you, Dr. Kaiba. Kisara," she asked, "I've watched him grow up…How do I tell Darla?"

Kisara gave the older woman a soft hug. "I'll tell them. You go and be with your kids. I'll be out in a minute…" Scout left the room and headed down the hall, while Kisara went to the unconscious Syrus's bedside. She stroked his fluffy bangs out of his face and said softly, "Don't give up, sweetie. Please don't give up." She sat for a few long moments, focusing herself. Kisara had been married for nearly nine years and had been a mother for eight years (she'd gotten pregnant on the honeymoon, much to her and Seto's mutual surprise). _How do you, a mother, tell another mother there's nothing you can do for her child?_ Kisara prayed for strength and hoped she'd be able to talk to her husband tonight.

Meanwhile, Jean Louise Rhodes walked back into the waiting area. "Mom, what's happening?" Alexis asked.

"Scout?" Darla asked her longtime friend, while the other adults and kids looked at the surgeon desperately, particularly the two brothers, blood and by heart.

"I'll let Kisara tell all of you," Scout answered softly. Each of them could tell something was very wrong. Alexis pulled close to her mother, fearful and worried. Zane didn't shrink from his mother and father's hugs but he didn't totally accept them either.

_He won't make it… I know where to go when it's over… The bridge is a good place to jump…so is the volcano…of course, I could just get a razorblade or a gun and go to the abandoned dorm…_ Zane's thoughts were very dark now.

Jean-Louis Bonaparte, meanwhile, made a decision. "Professor Sartyr…"

"Yes, Professor Bonaparte?"

"I need you to do something for me. Please get Marcel for me…"

Sartyr nodded, understanding. He left and returned quickly with Marcel Bonaparte, a small boy with dark hair and blue eyes. "Marcel, Professor Bonaparte wishes to speak with you."

"Yes, sir. Professor Bonaparte, you wished to speak with me?" the small boy in the Ra Yellow uniform asked.

"Marcel…my boy…" The rotund man pulled the boy into a tight hug. "My son that I'm so proud of." Marcel was admittedly dumbfounded for a moment.

"Papa? You…"

"Life's too short, Marcel. _Mon petit fiston,_ _je t'aime._ Forgive me for pushing you away," Bonaparte said softly, telling his son he loved him in the tongue of their former homeland.

Jaden, despite being worried out of his mind, looked up in shock. "Um… did you just call him Dad? And did you just say he's your son?!"

"That's exactly what I said, Jaden. Marcel is my son," Bonaparte explained. "I didn't want anyone knowing because I didn't want to be perceived as favoring him or risk that he'd be teased. I see now that it was poor reasoning on my part and all I've been doing is hurting him…Is that right, Marcel?" he asked softly.

"Papa…" Marcel said softly, crying a bit. "Why now?"

"Because…I realized what I would most regret if it were you lying in that hospital bed, Marcel…" And so Marcel and Jean-Louis Bonaparte sat together, along with the others waiting.

_Man, oh man, that was weird,_ Jaden thought, _but I'm glad they've patched things up. Maybe my dad and I will be able to talk like that when he gets out of the Domino Mental Hospital…_The brown-haired boy sighed, feeling terribly alone, wishing he had his father and that his mother hadn't been dead for eight years.

"Jaden?" Darla Truesdale asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"Yes, Mrs. Truesdale?"

"What was your mother's name, honey? I've been wondering ever since Sy wrote about you in his first five emails from here."

"My mom's name was Jayda. She was a cancer doctor. How come you want to know?"

Darla was smiling a bit. "You don't remember, do you, honey? Your mom worked at Domino Children's years ago, before… Well, I worked with her and I remember when you were little and how proud she was of you. When she died, Scout, Hiro and I promised that we'd try to keep an eye out for you, but we lost contact with your father. It wasn't until last year that we found you and even then, we couldn't be sure you were the same boy…"

"So… you remember me?" Jaden asked, getting up from his seat and walking over to Darla, almost as if he were in a dream. "Why don't I remember?"

"You were so young, honey," Scout added, "and you weren't around the hospital a lot. You were at Pokey Oaks Preschool and then at Todd Beamer Elementary. And then, we lost track of you…"

"So…why wasn't I at the hospital very much?" Jaden asked curiously.

"When you were little, you were lovingly known as 'Hurricane Jaden,'" Darla said, reaching out to tousle his hair. "You were a very energetic little boy and couldn't stand still… we all loved you. Can… can I give you a hug, pumpkin?" Jaden nodded and took the hug from the woman who looked so much like his best friend now lying in the cubicle. Darla held him close and he cried silently, face hidden while she gently rubbed his back like his mother used to do. "How's your dad doing, sweetie?" she asked when he moved his head to look up at her.

"Not so good…" Jaden sighed. "A couple of days before I dueled Zane in the graduation duel, Dad tried to do himself in. I've pretty much been on my own while he's been at Domino Mental Hospital. He's getting better, though. But… it's just a lot to deal with…"

"How do you do it, Jaden?" Chazz asked. "How do you keep so happy with crap like that?"

"I just do, Chazz. But…I don't think I can take any more," Jaden admitted. "If Sy…" He took a deep breath, trying to force the pain and tears away. "I just can't take any more…" he managed finally, just above a whisper. Darla kept him in the hug.

"Do you what he said about you, Jaden?" she asked softly. He shook his head. "Well, Syrus told me that… he felt like he'd always known you when you first met and how glad he was that you guys were good friends." Zane opened his mouth to say something too, but then Chancellor Shepherd arrived in the room.

"Hello, everyone." He shook the hands of the parents, then sat down in a chair. "How is Syrus?"

"Dr. Kaiba hasn't come back yet. We don't know what's going on, Chancellor Shepherd," Alexis answered softly. "His heart stopped and he stopped breathing about two hours before Mom, Dad, the Truesdales and Mrs. Kaiba got here…"

"Guys?" Kisara had returned to the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Truesdale, shall we go in another room and discuss Sy's status?"

Darla exchanged glances with her husband and her son. "You can tell us here… That way, we don't have to repeat it." Kisara couldn't help but notice that Darla had her hands on Jaden Yuki's shoulders in a protective motherly way, while Justin Truesdale had his arms around his eldest son.

Kisara took a deep breath. "All right. The shock collar disrupted his heart rhythm and that's why his heart stopped…twice. Right now, he's very weak. If he were stronger, I would advise taking him out of here on a medical evacuation helicopter. I would also advise an evaluation by a cardiologist and possibly emergency surgery. If I thought calling in the best cardiologist would help, I'd call my husband in a second to fly the best in the world out here. However, it is my conclusion that surgery **will** kill him at this point. And medevacing him out would most likely do the same thing. In short, there's nothing that I can do. All we can do at this point is wait…" The room was silent for a moment.

Zane was the one who broke the silence. "So, what you're saying, Doctor, is that… I've pretty much killed my little brother…" His gray eyes were haunted. Kisara could tell what was going through his mind very easily.

"Zane," she said gently, getting him to sit down, separate from his parents, "look at me. Doing what I think you're thinking of doing…you did a terrible thing, but you shouldn't throw away what your brother wanted to give you. Why did he duel you in the first place?"

Realization dawned on the dark-haired boy's face. "He wanted to get me back and save me. But I…"

"Zane, honey, don't throw away his gift to you. He gave you back your life. So don't try to take your life. Even if the worst happens, he forgave you and he still loves you. You can still tell him the same." Kisara took another breath, and continued, "I think you all should talk to him. Maybe if he hears some friendly voices, he'll get stronger…" She smiled a little bit, and thought, _At the very least, if __Sy doesn't pull through, they'll all have had the chance to say goodbye…_

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Meanwhile, in a world separate from humans, a young woman dressed in a blue outfit and hat outlined in pink and carrying a blue staff with a golden swirl at the top looked through a portal. "Oh, Syrus, please hang on!"

Usagi, the Angelic Guardian of the Moon, just happened to be walking by when she heard the plea. "Dark Magician Girl? What is it?"

"Syrus is in trouble, and I'm his duel spirit! I can't just stand by…" Dark Magician Girl had blue-green eyes that were currently filled with tears. She looked desperately into Usagi's sky-blue eyes. "I can't just let him die!"

"Dark Magician Girl, is Syrus special to you?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. I really like him. I actually kissed him on the day I went to Duel Academy. I know I work for Yugi Muto, but there's something about Syrus. I just can't lose him now…" the young spell caster concluded sadly, pulling herself together.

Usagi thought quickly and said, "I think you should go there and be with him for a short time. Visit him… maybe your presence will do something."

Dark Magician Girl smiled at the fairy monster. "Maybe it will. Thank you for helping him earlier."

"No problem, Dark Magician Girl. We'll all be watching." Usagi watched as her spell caster friend flew away toward the portal between the Dominion of the Beasts and the realm that humans called home. She only hoped she could get to her special boy…

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Kisara walked back to Syrus's cubicle, intending to prepare the room so everyone would have a chance to talk to the small teen. However, she wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her eyes. "Oh, hello, Kisara," said Dark Magician Girl, sitting on a chair next to Syrus's bed.

"Oh, Dark Magician Girl, you surprised me!" the white-blonde woman said, truly sounding a bit startled. "Why are you here?"

"I'm Syrus's duel spirit. And…well, I'm sort of his girlfriend."

"His…girlfriend?" Kisara couldn't help but smile at this and barely contained her laughter. "Are you serious? Can duel spirits do that?"

"Yes, we can. And I'd never kissed anyone before him… not even Yugi. His heart was taken a long time ago. Is it okay if I..?"

Kisara nodded. She wasn't at all surprised at the existence of duel spirits or seeing real duel monsters. In fact, Kisara was very close friends with a Blue Eyes White Dragon that she had christened Bianca when they had met about 11 years previously when the portal between worlds had opened. "Talk to him, Dark Magician Girl. Maybe it'll help him come back to us." Kisara stepped away and gave the young duel monster girl a long moment of privacy.

"Syrus," Dark Magician Girl said softly, "I remember when you were little and we first met. You were crying because you felt like you didn't have friends and I wanted to cheer you up. And so…we started talking. You'd tell me about life as a human, and I told you about what it was like living in the Dominion of the Beasts. I didn't expect to fall for you, but I did. Your brother thought it was funny that you said we'd gone steady, but… we sort of had. Syrus… please don't leave me now. Even if you can't see me, I'm here with you." Dark Magician Girl fought tears, and kissed Sy's unconscious cheek. "I'll be here." And as quickly as she'd come, she disappeared. Kisara, sensing this, walked back into the room and set up a few more chairs.

_I know you're watching out for him, Dark Magician Girl and that you love him. I'll watch over him for you…_ Kisara thought. _Hopefully, he'll make it._

The first person in to see and talk to Sy was Chancellor Shepherd. "Hang in there, son. You keep fighting."

And then, Professor Bonaparte and Marcel came in. "Merci, Syrus. You gave me my papa back," Marcel said softly.

"And you gave me back my son," Bonaparte added. They left and were followed by Miss Fontaine, Professor Sartyr and Professor Young who told Syrus what a good boy he was and that they wanted to see him in class again.

Then, Dr. Crowler came into the room. "I'm glad no one else is in here but you, Kisara. I…" Vellian couldn't hold back tears. "I've been mean to him, unconscionably mean and I feel like I'm partly at fault for this…"

"Vellian…" Kisara said softly, "talk to him. Tell him you're sorry. And I think he knows you didn't mean it. You're tough on everyone because you want them to be better."

"You don't understand…"

"About that little incident at the abandoned dorms? Oh, I knew about that. I also heard about a duel around Obelisk Blue where Miss Rhodes dueled Mr. Yuki and something about his not being turned in was involved because he was saving a friend…"

Vellian froze. "You… knew?" This wasn't the first time Kisara had given the impression that she was somewhat omniscient.

"I have my sources, Vellian, and what my sources tell me is that you have done a lot of growing in the past year or so. So… keep growing," she said and gestured to the chair next to Syrus's bed. "It'll be all right," she added softly, patting him on the shoulder.

And so, Vellian Crowler apologized to Syrus, concluding, "You would be a good Obelisk Blue… and so would Jaden, if he'd improve in his studies. I want to see you in the Obelisk dorms."

Chazz Princeton followed Dr. Crowler, but when he came close to the door and saw Sy hooked up to the IVs and with the oxygen mask over his face, the black-haired boy backed up like a dog trying to avoid the vet. "I…don't know if I…" Chazz was grateful none of his friends were in the room to see him freaking out.

Kisara came close to him and put an arm around him. "Chazz, you don't have to do this, but I think you should. What's wrong, sweetie?"

"He…he looks like my dad did. I kind of remember when my dad died. He was brain dead, but they kept his body going so his good organs could be donated. He was hooked up kind of like this." Chazz was trembling a little.

"Would you like me to stay in here with you while you talk to him?"

"We'll stay with you, boss!" Chazz's duel spirits, the Ojama Brothers, chorused.

Before Chazz could say anything, Kisara smiled. "Hello, Ojamas. I think that's a good idea. Just be quiet, you three. The boss needs to be able to think." Chazz's eyes widened in shock.

"You can see them?"

"Mmmhmm. I can see duel spirits, too, sweetie. So?"

"Yeah, I'd like you to stay, Mrs. Kaiba. I…" Chazz couldn't talk for a minute.

"I understand, sweetie. C'mon," she said, leading him to a chair, "you just sit and talk to him… I'll hold your hand if you'd like…" Chazz nodded, and the Ojama Brothers sat on his head.

"Hey, Syrus… Look, I know we haven't been on the best of terms…in fact, let's face it, I've been a real jerk. Just in case… I wanted you to know I'm sorry. It's actually been… kinda nice to have some friends. When you wake up, don't let anybody know I said that. The Chazz has to stand alone. So you'd better get back here. Here," he said, pulling a GX tournament medal out from his collection and putting it on Mr. Fuzzy Bear, "you get one of my medals. I'm giving the others to Slacker. Jay won them from me fair and square. You should've seen him against Sartorius…" Chazz talked on for a few more minutes, telling Sy everything about the "duel of the fates." He also relaxed enough to let go of Kisara's hand.

"Sartorius kept going on about how it was Jaden's destiny to lose and join the Society of Light, but Slacker told him that he was going to win. Jaden won and everybody's out of the Society of Light. I still can't believe he actually swore at Sartorius! Man, he was mad! You'd better get back here, Syrus. Hang in there." Chazz was actually smiling a little. "Thanks for staying with me, Mrs. Kaiba."

"No problem, sweetie."

Chazz walked out of the room and took his GX medals off of his jacket. He wrapped them up in a handkerchief and pushed them into Jaden's hands before he sat down without a word. "Chazz?" Jaden asked when he opened up the bundle. "I can't take this…"

"Take it, Slacker. You beat me and…you beat me fair and square. Besides," he added with a little smirk, "I got tired of carrying these around anyway. Keep 'em. Sy has one of my medals. I thought he deserved it…" the raven-haired boy concluded.

Jaden might've, at any other time, tackled Chazz in a hug. But right now, he settled for a nod and a simple "Thanks, Chazz."

And then Max Pegasus and Chumley Huffington went into the room to talk to Sy (Pegasus left a plush Patroid on the nightstand), followed by Aster Phoenix. Then Miss Fontaine went into the room, followed by the Rhodes family and then the Truesdales and Jaden.

"Um… Mr. and Mrs. Truesdale?" Jaden asked.

"What is it, Jaden?" Justin Truesdale asked (Jaden noticed Justin sounded like a more gravelly version of his son).

"Could…could I stay in here with Sy tonight? I mean, if…you don't mind me being in here…"

"Mom, Dad, could I stay in here, too?" Zane asked.

Darla and Justin looked at each other. Darla, for her part, knew that she could not stay awake much longer. She had been awake for 60 hours, delivering babies and then racing to get to her youngest child. And while Justin had the better schedule, he knew he needed to be close to his wife tonight.

"All right, you two, you can stay in here," the mother said gently. "Dr. Kaiba, is there any way we can stay in the infirmary tonight?" Kisara had moved to the door of Sy's room, and nodded.

"I think we can arrange that. Miss Fontaine?" she called, heading back down the hall. To her surprise, futons were already being brought in, along with blankets and pillows. She walked back. "It's already fixed. I think anyone who wants to be here can be here."

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And so, several people made themselves comfortable in the outer room of the infirmary. In Syrus Truesdale's cubicle, Jaden Yuki sat down on Sy's right and held the unconscious boy's hand, while Zane Truesdale sat down on his brother's left and held his hand.

"We're not leaving you, Sy," Jaden said. "We'll stay in here with you tonight."

"I'm not leaving and when you wake up, I promise I'll be a better brother," Zane said. "If I'm not, your other brother will have something to say to me," he added, looking at Jaden and smiling. "You want to play Go Fish?"

"Let's get our game on," Jaden said, smiling a bit, but sobering when he looked at Syrus. The two boys played a few rounds of Go Fish with a regular deck of cards and then fell asleep in their chairs.

Kisara, meanwhile, stayed awake the entire night, making sure that everyone slept comfortably, including Miss Fontaine who'd pushed herself to exhaustion. The young doctor walked into Sy's room and covered the two boys guarding him with blankets. _It'll be all right boys,_ she thought, reading Sy's monitors and checking him. _You keep getting stronger, angel,_ she thought, brushing his fluffy blue bangs…

It was a long night, but inevitably, night turned to dawn. And as the dawn came, in a small room, a set of small fingers began to flex…

_Cliffhanger! What is happening now? You'll just have to stay tuned for the next exciting installment of "Bittersweet Victory!" Read and review, everybody!_


	7. Am I Dead?

Chapter VII: Am I Dead?

_Have you guys used enough Kleenex yet? Hello again to you Yu-Gi-Oh GX fans and thanks again for your reviews! I'm sorry if my writing has caused you to use a great deal of __facial tissue, but I'm glad if you're enjoying my story. Anyway, this fic has been quite a sad one to this point, hasn't it? Well, perhaps things are about to change…_

_Recap: Kisara had to inform Syrus's parents, Zane, Jaden and everyone else that__ she could do nothing to help the injured boy. Zane contemplated suicide until Kisara reminded him that his brother wanted him to live. Professor Bonaparte and Marcel made up, Dr. Crowler apologized, we found out Chazz has a slight fear of hospital rooms and that Jaden's mom, Sy and Zane's mom, Alexis and Atticus's mom and Bastian's dad work or worked together. Dark Magician Girl, fearful that Sy wouldn't make it, came from the Dominion of the Beasts to urge him to survive. Jaden and Zane decided to stay in the room with Sy, while everyone else slept in the outer room of the infirmary… __And as the chapter clo__ses, a set of small fingers began__ to move…__So what happens next?_

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. I just apparently write fictions that make people cry…__ On with the story…_

_**Author's note:** This part of the story begins just before Sy collapses..._

Syrus Aidan Truesdale looked as his brother fell on his butt as Zane's life points dropped to zero after Usagi made her final assault. _I did it,_ he thought, and then felt himself start to sink. He felt a pair of thin but wiry arms go around him and looked up into the face of Jaden Kiyo Yuki, his best friend and, if truth be told, the young man he thought of as his brother by heart. "I did it, Jay," he whispered. "Where's Zane?"

"He's over there, Sy…" Jaden was worried and Sy could feel himself fading.

"Tell him… I love him…" Sy felt the blackness overtaking his vision and could barely hear Jaden calling for help, and then the bliss of oblivion took him. He drifted in this darkness for some time before becoming aware of himself again. He was floating in a soft warm place. "Where am I?"

"It's all right, Syrus. You're in a safe place right now," said a strong, yet somehow familiar warm voice. The small blue-haired teen boy turned in the soft place into what looked like a warmly lit hallway with marble floors. He looked down at himself to see that he was dressed in the Slifer Red uniform he'd worn during his first year at the academy. He looked toward the voice and saw what looked like Yugi Muto, dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh.

"Yugi? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not Yugi. My name is Atem." Then Syrus realized something…

"You're the legendary pharaoh that sealed the Shadow Games, right?"

"That's right."

"So that means… you died 5000 years ago."

"Yes…"

Syrus was really getting scared now. "Um…Your Highness?"

The teen king rolled his eyes, smiling. "You don't have to call me that, young one. My name is Atem and I'd like you to call me that. You look frightened."

Sy's eyes were wide in fright. "Um…" It probably didn't help the situation that what looked like Seto Kaiba in ancient Egyptian garb walked over to Atem.

"Hello, Cousin. Who is this?" Syrus turned very white and fell over. "Is he all right?"

"This is Syrus Truesdale, Seto. He attends Duel Academy Central."

Sy sat up, his poor head spinning. "Are you all right, Syrus?" Guardian Seto asked.

"Oh, man… Am I dead? Because you guys have been dead for a really long time and that's the only way I could be talking to you… Oh, man! I must be dead! I'M DEAD!" he howled much like Dash Parr had in "The Incredibles" and cried anime-style! At this pronouncement, Atem and Seto exchanged bemused glances. And another person came running down the hallway.

"Atem, is everything all right?" Sy looked up, hearing what he thought was the voice of Dark Magician Girl. However, he saw a young woman dressed in a white outfit, and she had brown hair and bright blue eyes. Syrus thought she kind of looked like Yugi's wife, Teá.

"You sound kind of like Dark Magician Girl," the boy said, ceasing his crying. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mana. Dark Magician Girl was my first monster. She was my friend in battle on the day I lost a lot of friends…" She knelt down to his level, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm dead, because how could I be talking to you if you died centuries ago? That's what's wrong…" He looked up at the three of them, sad, but noticed they were smiling. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but… I didn't want to die this early…"

"Syrus," Atem said, kneeling at the small boy's level, "you aren't dead, but your condition is very serious. Come take a look…" The former pharaoh, his cousin and his girlfriend helped the boy to his feet and walked him to a room that looked like an in-home theater. Atem pressed a button and the screen at the front of the room activated. Syrus saw himself unconscious in Jaden's arms and Zane looking on in horror. And then he saw Jaden performing CPR on him.

"I died…"

"Just keep watching, young one…" Atem said softly. And Sy watched as his body started breathing again and then as it was placed on the gurney and raced into Duel Academy's infirmary. He saw his friends worrying and then scared as he went into cardiac arrest again. And then he saw the duel between Jaden and Sartorius and how Jaden had gone utterly furious.

"Wow… Jay never cusses and he never fights like that…I've never seen him that upset before…" And then Sy got a glimpse of the rest of his family… "Mommy…Daddy…I'll find a way back…" And then… "Dark Magician Girl?! I've got to live!" Sy almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dark Magician Girl had come to plead with him to stay alive, and then came the teachers and his friends and family. "Dr. Crowler sent me that letter? And he's sorry? Wow…"

"Do you forgive him?" Atem asked curiously.

"Of course I do. We didn't get kicked out of the academy and he turned to be nice anyway," Syrus answered, and noticed that the pharaoh's lips curved into a smile. "What is it?"

"You remind me a lot of Yugi…the way he was when I knew him…"

"You knew..? Then it's true! The stuff I've heard about the Millennium Puzzle was true! Jay thought it wasn't early last year. So you did fight alongside Yugi! Wow…" Syrus suddenly absorbed what Atem had said about him being like Yugi and asked, "Why do I remind you of Yugi, Atem?"

Atem smiled at this, as did Guardian Seto and Mana. "Well, for one thing, you're about the size he was when I knew him. You also are much braver than you think. Yugi was timid and shy when I first met him, but he became braver and like you did earlier this year, fought those who would bully him with his dueling deck. He did very well and conquered his fears."

Syrus couldn't help but smile… "I'm like the King of Games…wow…So, do I get to go back?"

"You get to go back," Mana answered. "You probably won't wake up for a bit longer, but you're going to be fine."

"Syrus, before you go back, I would like to give you a message to give to Yugi for me. He'll be at the school soon and you can give him the message," Atem said.

"Okay, Atem. What is it?"

"Tell him… I'm all right and that I'm here if he ever needs me again…"

Sy threw his arms around the pharaoh and his two friends. "Thanks, guys. Hold on, Jay and Zane! I'm coming back!" The three Egyptians smiled at this outburst from the small blue-haired boy, and then let him down. Atem directed Sy toward a door which opened, and the small teen stepped through. Again Syrus found himself in the warm, soft place and he lay there for what seemed like several hours. It was dark in that place, but it got lighter. Finally, he experimentally moved his fingers and then heard soft footsteps.

He felt a soft small hand brush his forehead, and a soft voice whisper, "Syrus…come on, angel. Come on back, now. Your heartbeat's back to normal and your family and friends want you back…" The small boy struggled for a second and managed to open his gray eyes. He had to blink a couple of times so he could see somewhat clearly. "Go slowly," the voice whispered, and then he felt a strong arm behind his back, sitting him up and propping pillows behind him. He saw a flash of white-blond hair, but he couldn't see the face just yet. One hand came back to his face with his specs so he could see clearly. His vision came into focus and the first thing he saw was Jaden and Zane sleeping soundly at the foot of his bed. And then, someone sat down next to him. "Welcome back, sweetie," she said, and he beheld the face of, in his opinion, an angel. She gave him a squeeze bottle and helped him take a drink (his mouth was sort of dry). "Take it slow," she advised.

"Hi," he said when he'd drunk his fill. "Were you taking care of me?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "My name's Kisara Kaiba. Chancellor Shepherd called me here yesterday. You were a very sick boy, Syrus…"

"You're Seto Kaiba's wife. I've seen you before… You're a doctor…"

"Yes, I am, Sy. Everyone was really worried about you…"

He looked up at her. "I know. What time is it, Doctor Kaiba?"

"Syrus, you can call me Kisara, all right? Everyone else can…"

"Okay… what time is it?"

"It's seven in the morning…" Just then, Jaden began to stir, as did Zane. The young doctor smiled softly, and Sy gripped her hand, smiling back. "They were here all night, sweetie…"

Jaden and Zane opened their eyes at the same time and sat up from their positions (faces lying against their arms). Both boys blinked, rubbing their eyes, stretched, and then noticed Kisara and…

"SYRUS!" they both shouted happily.

"Guys, shush!" Kisara whispered. "Don't wake everybody yet. I want them to come in here slowly."

"Hey, little bro--…" Zane began, and found himself choked up.

"Sy…bro…" Jaden added, then found himself unable to speak. The two older boys settled for hugging the younger one. Sy himself was weak but able to put his arms around the brother of his blood and the brother of his heart.

"I'm okay…Hey, what's Mr. Fuzzy Bear doing here?" Sy asked, realizing his teddy bear was squished between him and the other two boys.

"Chumley brought him for you," Jaden explained, "and take a look at what he's wearing…"

"A GX medal… Did you guys..?"

"No, it was Chazz," Jaden said. "I'm as surprised as you are, bro. And he gave me the rest. And…everybody's asleep out there."

"I know… Zane?"

"Yeah, Syrus?"

"What Kisara told you…that's exactly what I wanted…I wanted you back…"

"What? Syrus, how would you know what she told me?"

"Or what you told Sartorius to go do with himself, Jay?" Sy asked with a naughty smile.

Jaden had the same expression on his face when he'd found out that Blair Flannigan was just eight years old. "How...? Sy, buddy, you're scaring me…But how did you know? Did you hear us?"

"Well, you see…" And Sy told his brothers and Kisara about his near-death experience. "I saw you guys and I knew I had to come back. And the pharaoh said I was like Yugi! Oh… Kisara? Is there a way I could get a message to Yugi? I mean, we were in Domino a few weeks ago and his grandpa said…"

"It's okay… Solomon knows where Yugi is; he just has to keep it quiet. But if you'd like to give your message to Yugi in person, that can be arranged, sweetie."

"Okay…Can my mom and dad come in here, too?" the blue-haired boy asked as his brothers gently released him from the hug and let him sink back into his pillows.

"I can arrange that, Sy. Is it okay if you have a steady stream of visitors for a while?"

"Um…yeah. That'd be okay, I guess. Why?"

"Sy," Jaden answered, "there are a lot of people out there who stayed here… We were all worried." Sy smiled at this, realizing that people loved him, and he smiled also because he knew he had his blood brother back…

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About 20 minutes after Syrus approved visitors, Darla Truesdale raced into the hospital cubicle, trailed by her husband. She looked at her youngest child as if she saw a ghost. Then Jaden and Zane moved away from the bed as the mother moved close to her youngest child. She sat down and wordlessly enveloped him in a tight hug. Kisara smiled, watching the mother and son who looked so much alike embracing. It reminded the white-blonde woman of when she held her eldest son in her own arms (though Noah had his father's chestnut hair) and it made the young doctor misty eyed. _It'll be all right now,_ she thought.

For the next hour or so, Syrus had a lot of visitors. After his parents and brothers came Chazz Princeton. "Hey, Syrus… Um…Jaden missed you…everybody did."

"I know, Chazz," Sy answered, knowing that Chazz missed him too, but would never admit it. "Thanks for the medal…"

Chazz gave the small boy a hint of a smile. "No problem…squirt." For Sy, Chazz saying that was as good as admitting they were friends and that he'd have missed the blue-haired boy.

"Syrus! Welcome back to the land of the living," Bastian said as he came into the room. "We all thought for a moment you were going to be with Louis Pasteur and Albert Einstein…"

"Hi, Bastian…Well, I did talk to a couple of ancient Egyptians," Sy responded, getting a hug from the bigger boy. Bastian's right eyebrow raised. "It's a long story, Bastian…"

"And I'd be glad to hear it…"

And so others came into the room as well and Syrus got a lot of hugs and really realized how many friends and people who cared about him there were. He'd often wondered about that, since he didn't get very much attention. But today, he knew for sure that people did care. Most importantly, he had both of his brothers at his side…

_Shall I have an epilogue, everyone? I think this story might just need one… What say you? Read and review! _

_PS… To my dear Dysfunctional Sibling, syrusfanatic12…honey, you need to re-enable your ability to receive private messages!_


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue: One Week Later

_Welcome back, everyone! Thank you for your patience in waiting for the epilogue; I had to finish chapter 26 of "The Jedi League of Duelists." That story sets up some things that you see throughout my version of the Yugi-verse. I've got a sequel figured out, but I'm still figuring out the prologue. Anyway, what you see here is a variant on my own alternate timeline/universe. I can hear the relieved Syrus fans putting away the pitchforks. I couldn't bring myself to kill Sy; he's way too darling. I just couldn't do it. Thanks to all of my reviewers: __lunarlight20, Saundersfamily007, syrusfanatic12, Sho-Syrus chan, WhiteAsukaLover, Shade, 15animefreak15, Killerpen888, an anonymous reviewer, Glimerofhope, Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna, and Pokematic7. I couldn't have done this without your encouragement, or you all, dear readers! It's a lot of fun to write when you know people like your stuff!_

_Recap: We saw through Sy's eyes his own near-death experience. He met with Atem, Guardian Seto and Mana… and of course, flipped out. Sy saw that his brother and his whole family, blood and by heart__, truly loved him and wanted him around. Kisara Kaiba was relieved to see that her patient came out of it. So, what happens now?_

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX and I don't own Web MD, which provided my medical information._

About one week had passed since Syrus had awakened to see his two brothers sleeping at the foot of his bed, worried about him. The GX tournament had been cancelled, and the academy was slowly returning to normal. The students that had belonged to the Society of Light had all returned to themselves and Sartorius had gotten his sister Serena back. But those were not the only changes…

Today was a sunny day, and Jaden was pushing Syrus around campus in a wheelchair. Kisara had wanted Syrus to take it easy and not overexert himself and Jaden had gladly volunteered to push his surrogate brother around campus. Meanwhile, Atticus Rhodes was pushing Zane around in a wheelchair as well. On a hunch, Kisara had examined the older Truesdale boy and discovered he had developed atrial fibrillation, a type of heart disease that had messed with his heartbeat. Kisara had called her husband and gotten him to send a cardiologist to treat Zane immediately. As a result, he was now in a wheelchair, riding next to his little brother.

"Feeling better, Zane?" Syrus asked.

"Yeah," the older boy answered. "You have my word I will never again use those shock collars, Syrus. Kisara said if I'd kept on using them, they probably would've killed me eventually. I'm glad you beat me, little brother. You saved me in more ways than one. So guys, I heard something big is happening today," he said to Jaden and Atticus.

"Yeah," Jaden said excitedly. "Kaiba and Yugi are coming and they're bringing their families. So we'll have Yugi's kids here! And Kaiba's kids! This is going to be great!"

"Yeah, it'll be awesome, guys!" Atticus Rhodes added. "Kaiba and Yugi haven't dueled in years! The last time they dueled seriously, Lexi and you were in kindergarten, Sy. I don't know if they'll duel today, but if they do, it'll be cool!"

"Yeah, it would be cool," Sy answered, smiling a little. _I'm glad Zane's okay. My beating him was bittersweet; it's not like if he'd been okay and I'd beaten him. Maybe someday, I'll have another duel with him and the victory will be totally sweet. _And then he reminded himself, _I've got a message to d__eliver. Don't worry, Atem, I'll do it._

The four boys followed the trail they were on down to the helipad where a helicopter had just landed. "That's them! It's got to be!" Jaden shouted happily. Sy and Zane felt the wind against their faces as their helpers moved a bit faster. As they came closer, they saw Kisara waiting for her husband and children and sure enough…

"MOMMY!" three young voices shouted, and three children, the oldest eight years old, ran into their mother's arms. The eldest was Noah Adam with chestnut hair and blue eyes like his father's. Then came his sister, Serena Renee, age six, who had white-blonde hair and blue eyes like her mother's and Seto James, Junior, more popularly known as Jaime, age 4, who had raven hair and blue eyes. Kisara looked very happy as she hugged her children close, but looked even happier when her husband came and kissed her softly yet passionately on the lips.

And then, Yugi David Muto, his wife Teá and their four children emerged from the helicopter as the Kaibas moved back. Kisara, seeing the four boys waiting, smiled. "Hi, kids," she said and introduced them to Seto and her kids.

Noah looked at the boys curiously. "You're kinda like Uncle Yugi, Jaden," he said softly.

"How?" Jaden asked.

"You fight like he did, even fighting in the virtual world. And you just about always win," he said. Syrus, looking at the eldest Kaiba child, couldn't have explained how he knew, but he felt as if Noah had actually seen Yugi battle and win. _Weird feeling, _Sy thought.

The Muto family came over to the Kaibas and the academy students quickly. Yugi and Teá had four children; eight-year-old Sophie Rose, who was a spitting image of her mother, six-year-old twins Yugi David, Junior and Atem Solomon who was also known as Temmy (both little boys looked exactly like their father) and three-year-old Lily Abigail who had her mother's brown hair and her father's violet eyes.

"Hi, Kisara!" the Mutos chorused.

"So, how's it been?" Yugi asked.

"Very good, Yugi. These two are well on the road to recovery," she answered, indicating the Truesdale brothers.

"Glad to hear it," he said, with some slight laughter in his voice. "You're Jaden," he said to the brown-and-redheaded pusher of Sy's wheelchair.

"Yes, sir and thanks again for Winged Kuriboh! He's my best duel spirit friend. Thanks for giving him to me." Yugi smiled at this, and then noticed Syrus with the same expression he himself had had when he was a teen. "And you are…?"

"Syrus Truesdale, Mr. Muto…"

"Please call me Yugi. Mr. Muto is my grandfather."

"I know. We had the honor of meeting him a few weeks ago when we went to Domino for a field trip. Um… I have a message for you."

"A message?" the King of Games asked, coming close and stooping to Sy's level. "From who?"

"An old friend of yours. He said that he was all right and that if you and Teá ever need him again, he'll be there." Sy was surprised to see the undisputed champion's eyes grow soft and sad.

"Thank you," Yugi managed finally, after a moment. He had given up dueling after Egypt and only a few people knew why. "I know he's always with me. Thank you, Syrus."

And the group of adults, teens and kids walked up to the main academy building, happy that things were right in the world again…

**THE END**

_And there you have it! Sy was able to deliver his message, and Zane will be all right, too. Thank you again to all of you fans for reading this! I'm glad if you enjoyed this story!_


End file.
